​Overview

Scope and Content

Collection documents a request in September 1920, to the building inspector of the City of Dallas to create segregated housing in City Block 1622, Fairland Annex, bordered by Hester Street and Keating and Gertrude Avenues.

Although racial segregation of housing was an unwritten practice throughout the United States, “legalized” segregation in Dallas was first codified in the City Charter in 1915 and revised in the Dallas City Code numerous times up to the repeal and removal of all segregation ordinances in 1968.  The Fairland Annex block’s owner desired to subdivide into two blocks and allow African Americans to purchase the lots, but the request to the City was protested by adjoining white property owners.  The building inspector later ruled that African Americans were eligible to purchase property and build homes in the block.

The collection contains correspondence between Mr. F.R. Malone, owner of Block 1622, and D.C. McCord, City Building Inspector, and a petition signed by white property owners.  Sometime after 1920, Keating and Gertrude Avenues changed names.  The map drawn in one of the communications refers to the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, which is now the site of North Central Expressway.

Organization

NA

Access

Permission to publish, reproduce, distribute, or use by any and all other current or future developed methods or procedures must be obtained in writing from the Dallas Municipal Archives. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards.

Citation

Fairland Annex Segregated Housing​ Materials, 1920 (Box <x>, Folder <y>), Dallas Municipal Archives

Related Materials

None

Index Terms